Steal Your Heart Tonight
by xoxo-lugia-oxox
Summary: James, now out of TR and on his Poke-journey, takes on Sabrina for a Marsh Badge...what ends up happening?
1. The Cuteness Factor

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon and I'm not trying to make money off this. *^_^*  
  
James went through the doors of the Saffron City Gym, a little apprehensive. It was well known that Sabrina was one of the toughest gym leaders in Kanto to beat. Sabrina's psychic Pokemon would have creamed Weezing and Victreebel, his highest level Pokemon, in less than a minute, he knew. That was why he had convinced Meowth to do some training, gotten Growlie back from his parents, and caught and trained new Pokemon. After intense training that involved bypassing Saffron City and beating every other gym in Kanto, James felt that he and his team were finally ready to take on Sabrina.  
  
One of Sabrina's assistants led James to the battle floor. The Saffron City gym lacked bleachers, so there was no audience. This reassured James. He always battled better when there was no one around to watch. Sabrina floated out of her office and settled down close to James. "You are here to challenge me for the Marsh Badge," she said. It was more of a statement than a question. James nodded silently, his mind racing. He had heard much about Sabrina's power, but little of her beauty. He was pleasantly surprised by how pretty she was. Her trademark red suit was form fitting and showed off a great body. Thigh high boots that started a few inches below the bottom of the suit highlighted shapely thighs. Jet black hair framed a beautifully pale face, and deep violet eyes stood out all the more against the black bangs that hung in a slanted line above them.  
  
Sabrina smiled a little. She recognized James from a while back. He and his Team Rocket partner Jessie had taken Ash's Pikachu, and Sabrina had returned it to Ash. Of course, she had used the doll then, so James wouldn't recognize her. She decided that since James had left Team Rocket a few years back that she wouldn't remind him of that day. That decided, it was her turn to look him over.  
  
James was different from most of the trainers who challenged her. For one thing, he wasn't ten or eleven years old. He was probably closer to her age, which would make him about 22. Another thing that made him different was his attitude. Unlike many of the younger trainers, he wasn't bursting with confidence that bordered on the edge of arrogance. Rather, his confidence had a mature feel to it, the kind that came from actually being successful. Looking closely at what he was wearing, Sabrina noticed the other seven Kanto badges pinned to his jeans. With a growing sense of curiosity, she realized he had saved her for last, and her smile grew wider. This would be a good battle, she knew. "Are you ready?" she asked. James nodded, a smile coming over his face as well. It lit up his emerald green eyes and brightened his expression, Sabrina noticed. Then she blushed as she realized she was checking out James. "Um, how about a two on two battle? The first person to knock out both opponent's Pokemon wins. No time limit," Sabrina said, setting the terms of the battle. James smiled and nodded. "Sounds good to me," he replied. Sabrina nodded and teleported to her side of the gym.  
  
He took a Pokeball from his belt and tossed it out onto the floor. "Meowth, go!" he said. A Persian appeared and Sabrina's brow creased in puzzlement. "Why do you have a Persian named Meowth?" she asked, her puzzlement turning to amusement. Meowth scowled and answered himself. "Dat's the name I'm used to, dat's why!" Sabrina's eyes widened. "A talking Persian!" she said in amazement. Meowth purred proudly. "Da one and only!" Sabrina laughed. "You're cute," she said. "Oh, I guess I should send out my Pokemon!" she realized. "Duh." Her Pokeball floated out onto the floor and an Alakazam materialized. "Meowth, use Faint Attack!" James commanded. "Alakazam, use Psybeam!" Sabrina directed. Three Persians appeared side-by-side and Alakazam was unsure which one to aim at. Deciding on the middle one, Alakazam let a purple beam of psychic energy loose. "Wrong choice," Meowth said, as the Persian on the left flew towards Alakazam and slammed into the psychic Pokemon, knocking it back several feet. "Meowth, use Double Team and then Screech!" James commanded. "Alakazam, use Reflect!" Sabrina countered. Meowth doubled until there was a ring of Persians around Alakazam, then opened his mouth and screeched in a decibel too high for human ears to hear. Alakazam, however, doubled over, grabbing his ears, unable to hear anything other than the screech, including Sabrina's command. "Meowth, Shadow Ball!" James said. Meowth gathered a black ball of energy in front of his paw and then batted it towards Alakazam. It hit the psychic Pokemon with great force, sending Alakazam flying again. Alakazam hit the floor heavily in a faint and Sabrina recalled him to his Pokeball. "That was a great match, but I still have one Pokemon," she teased James, as she sent out her next Pokemon, a Slowbro. James smiled. "Thanks. So do I," he replied. "Meowth, use Thunderbolt!" he said. Sabrina's eyes widened. "Well, that's surprising. Slowbro, use disable!," she said. James nodded. "I taught it to Meowth in preparation for the Sensational Sisters," he explained casually as Meowth charged. Before Slowbro could disable Meowth, the cat Pokemon was able to hit Slowbro with a surge of electricity. Slowbro became paralyzed and couldn't perform the disable attack. "Meowth, use your bite attack!" James instructed. Meowth pounced on the psychic Pokemon, fangs beared, and attached himself to Slowbro's arm. Slowbro just looked at him. "Slow?" he said, at length. James sighed. "I forgot how slow a Slowbro is," he said. "Meowth, let go and use screech." Meowth released Slowbro and screeched. Slowbro finally reacted to the bite by looking at its arm and saying "Bro!" in pain. James scratched his head and sweatdropped as Sabrina giggled. "Slowbro, use Psychic!" she guided. Meowth was caught in Slowbro's psychic field and flopped back and forth between the ceiling and floor. Slowbro released him and he stood up dizzily. "Did you get the number of da truck dat hit me?" he asked comically. James laughed a little before turning serious again. "Now is not the time for jokes Meowth!" he exclaimed. "Shake it off and hit Slowbro with a Shadow Ball!" he ordered. Meowth nodded and concentrated on gathering the ball of energy. "Slowbro, use Psybeam," Sabrina countered. The shadow ball and psybeam attacks were issued at the same time, and hit each other, creating an explosion. When the smoke cleared, Meowth had fainted and Slowbro was barely standing. James recalled Meowth to his Pokeball and debated about which Pokemon to send out next. Finally he decided and tossed the Pokeball out. "Growlie, go!" he said as a massive Arcanine materialized. Sabrina laughed. "What is it with you and having evolved Pokemon named after their first stage?" she teased. James scratched his head. "I dunno," he replied, blushing, before getting back to business. "Growlie, use Body Slam!" he commanded. "Slowbro, water gun!" Sabrina countered. Growlie hurtled toward Slowbro in quick fashion and hit the psychic Pokemon before getting hit with a torrent of water. Growlie flew back a few feet before landing gracefully on his paws, only a little fazed. Growlie shook the water from his fur and waited for a command from James. "Growlie, use Hyper Beam!" Growlie opened his mouth and shot a beam of energy at Slowbro. Slowbro, already weak from Meowth's attacks, fainted from the Hyper Beam. Sabrina recalled Slowbro and walked up to James as he recalled Growlie.  
  
Sabrina placed the Marsh Badge in James's hand. "You battled very well," she said. "I'm impressed." James blushed and looked at his new badge, trying not to stare at Sabrina. Now that she was up close, he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was. Not only that, she smelled very nice. "Thanks. You were good too," he replied. "And you smell nice!" he blurted out, and then blushed even more, if it was possible. Sabrina blushed too and then smiled. "You think so? It's a custom scented lotion that Erika makes for me," she said. James nodded, shyly averting his eyes. "Hey, you want to go out for lunch or something with me?" Sabrina asked suddenly. James started. "Lunch?" he squeeked. Clearing his throat, he nodded quickly. "That-that would be great!" he said, scratching his head nervously. Sabrina giggled. "Don't be nervous! I think you're cute," she said. "But let me put on something more comfortable," she said. "I'll be right back." She teleported herself to who knows where as James waited where he stood. *Sabrina thinks I'm cute and wants to go eat lunch with me?* he thought. *I'm feeling giddy!*  
  
In her room, Sabrina debated what to wear. Something cute and casual? Cute and sexy? Just plain sexy? *This is NOT a date* she reminded herself. *We're just going out for lunch!* But it had been such a long time since she'd last dated, she reflected, and James seemed like a great guy. He was smart, modest, nice, and definitely handsome. The best thing of all was that he seemed to have a sense of humor. Sabrina liked guys who could make her laugh, and who didn't take themselves too seriously. Deciding to go with cute and casual, Sabrina put on a pair of jeans and a mini-t shirt that had a Pokeball pictured on it, along with boots that weren't quite so tall. Then she teleported back to where James was. "Are you ready?" she asked. He nodded. "You know Saffron better than I do. How about you pick the place and I'll pay?" he offered, his confidence returned to him. Sabrina glanced at him with a smirk. "No no silly, I have to pay since I invited you. But I'll pick out the place," she said. James scratched his head. "Oh, right." He smiled. "I haven't um...gone out to lunch with anyone in a while, so I forget these things," he explained. Sabrina nodded. "I understand," she said. They left the gym and started walking around Saffron City.  
  
"Do you like Mexican food?" she asked him. "There's a really good restaurant called El Ranchero just down the street and around the corner," she added. James looked at her and nodded. "Yes, that's fine!" he said. "I've been daydreaming about Spanish rice lately," he admitted. Sabrina smiled widely. "Ok then!" 


	2. I Can Make You Laugh

The waiter led James and Sabrina to their table, and James, being the gentleman he was, pulled out a chair for Sabrina and made sure she was seated before sitting down himself. She smiled brightly while grabbing a chip from the bowl the waiter had set on their table. "You are so sweet," she said. James blushed. "Thanks," he said. They browsed at their menus, secretly looking at each other when the other wasn't looking. "I think I'll have two cheese enchiladas," Sabrina decided. James grinned and took a bite of chip. He loved when people ordered that. "When you say two cheese enchiladas, do you mean there are two of them, or do you mean that they have two kinds of cheese?" he said, trying his best to sound serious. Sabrina was ready to give him a look before she saw that his eyes were sparkling merrily with humor. She laughed and smacked him lightly. "Silly boy!" James grinned and went back to perusing his menu. "I think I'll have the bean and cheese burrito," he said. "That's a good choice," Sabrina approved. The waiter came and took their orders.  
  
While they waited for their food, they started talking. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what made you decide to become a trainer this late in the game? Most of the trainers I face are between 10 and 12 years old," she explained. James swallowed his mouthful of chips before answering. "My Victreebel!" he answered. "It never obeyed me, so I figured maybe if I got some badges it would." He shrugged and dipped another chip in the salsa. "It still doesn't obey me all the time, but that's better than before." He smiled. "Besides, it gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people," he said. He looked at her. "You, for example," he said. Sabrina blushed and smiled. "Thanks," she said. James eyed her curiously. "I suppose you already know that I used to be in Team Rocket?" he asked. Sabrina nodded and shrugged. "Doesn't bother me," she said. "I can tell you're not a bad guy underneath." James looked surprised. "You can?" Sabrina nodded. "Does it bother you that I'm psychic?" she asked suddenly. James looked startled. "What?" He shook his head. "Why would it?" Sabrina looked a little sad. "Psychic powers can be as destructive as they are helpful," she started. She struggled to find the right words. "Most people don't understand what it really means to be psychic. They think, for example, that we can predict the future, that we always read minds, that we can manipulate people, etc. And people fear what they don't understand. Fear leads to anger and anger leads to hate. For every person that thinks I'm cool for being psychic, there's another person who thinks I'm a freak." They both fell silent as the waiter set their food on the table. As soon as he left, James reached across the table and took Sabrina's hand in his. "I don't think you're a freak," he said softly, squeezing her hand. Sabrina smiled at him and squeezed back. "Thank you. It means a lot," she said. Her face brightened. "Ok, let's get off this subject and enjoy the food!" she said. James chuckled quietly and nodded. "Yes, let's do that," he said, taking a bite. "Mmmmmmmmm this is so good," he said, although it sounded more like "Mmmmmfffgggddd" because his mouth was full. Sabrina laughed and took her own bite. "Good restaurant, eh?" she asked. James nodded and swallowed. "Yes, quite!" he answered. "This Spanish rice is just what I wanted!" he added. Sabrina smiled. "I'm glad you accepted my invitation," she said suddenly. James looked at her and smiled. She giggled and James looked puzzled. "You-you have a piece of food stuck between your teeth!" she managed to get out in the middle of her laughter. James blushed and sweatdropped, pulling his compact out and examing his teeth in the mirror. He removed the offending particle of food and flashed his pearly whites at Sabrina again. "How's that?" he asked. She got her laughter under control and nodded. "Much better!" she said. James got over his embarrassment and took another bite. He gazed at Sabrina while he chewed. "I'm having a good time," he announced once he had swallowed his mouthful of burrito. Sabrina returned his look. "I am, too," she said softly.  
  
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Once they were done with their lunches, Sabrina paid the bill and they exited the restaurant, walking casually down the street. James scratched the back of his head. "What do you want to do now?" he asked. Sabrina looked thoughtful. "There's a park nearby that we could go to," she replied. James looked surprised. "A park in Saffron City?" Sabrina nodded. "In a city this big there's a lot of kids, so a park is necessary," she explained. "That makes sense," James said.  
  
They went to the park and strolled along the bike path, keeping to the side. To their left was the playground, which had slides, swings, and monkey bars. Kids swarmed all over the playground, talking and laughing. "I want kids someday," Sabrina said, looking at them. She glanced at James. "What about you?" she asked. James glanced over at the kids and back at Sabrina. He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe with the right person," he answered. They reached a fork in the bike path. "Which way do you want to go?" James asked. Sabrina looked around. "Why don't we just sit underneath a tree for a while? We can watch the Pokemon battles going on over there," she said, pointing to their right, where several tennis courts had been turned into makeshift battle floors. James nodded, and the two walked off the path onto the grass, heading for a large shade tree. They plopped down unceremoniously and leaned back against the tree, watching the Pokemon action. On the nearest court, a heated battle between a Rhydon and a Furret was taking place. Despite the type disadvantage Furret had, it was in much better shape than the Rhydon, which looked pretty beat up. Sabrina and James figured out why when the Furret's trainer issued a command. "Furret, Iron Tail!" the girl commanded. Furret's tail transformed into iron and the ferret Pokemon lashed Rhydon with its tail. Rhydon roared in pain before fainting. Both Pokemon were recalled by their trainers. "Good battle," they said to each other. Sabrina smiled. "It's nice to see trainers who have good sportsmanship," she said, leaning against James' shoulder. James looked a little surprised at the contact but didn't say anything, since he didn't mind. "Yes, it is," he agreed.  
  
*********  
  
They spent a few hours watching battles before Sabrina grew bored of it. She stood up and brushed herself off. "Come on, let's go find something else to do in this park," she said lightly. James nodded and stood up, brushing himself off as well. "Sounds good to me," he said. They returned to the bike path and strolled further down it. Night was beginning to fall and the park was getting quieter as the children left to go home. Sabrina's eyes gleamed with mischief as she grabbed James' hand and dragged him to the playground area. She let go of James and jumped onto a swing. "Wanna see who can swing the highest? I bet I can beat you!" she challenged. James grinned. "You're on!" He sat down in the swing next to Sabrina and they looked at each other. "We'll start on the count of three," Sabrina said. "Ok," James said. They counted in unison. "One, two...three!" Both started swinging, pumping their legs furiously in an effort to get their swings higher. James, with his longer legs, had a slight advantage, and it wasn't long before he was able to inch out Sabrina. He grinned. "I win!" he said. Sabrina grinned. "Yes, I admit it. You beat me," she said. They both slowed down and came to a stop. "So, do I get a prize?" James teased. Sabrina looked at him thoughtfully, then stood on her tippy toes and gave James a peck on the cheek. "How's that?" she asked. James blushed. "That-that's a great prize," he said. Sabrina smiled. "I thought so too," she said.  
  
By this time, night had completely fallen and the full moon bathed the park and its inhabitants in its gentle glow. James glanced at the sky as the two strolled along the bike path once more. "The stars look beautiful tonight," he said softly. Then he turned his eyes on Sabrina. "Not as beautiful as you, though," he said. Sabrina blushed at the compliment and gently took James' hand as they walked. "You're so sweet," she replied. James looked at his watch. "It's getting late. How about I walk you home?" he offered. Sabrina nodded and smiled. "That would be great." James sweatdropped as he realized something. "Er, I don't know where you live though," he said, embarrassed. Sabrina giggled. "Don't worry about. I'll show you," she said.  
  
*********  
  
It wasn't long before they reached Sabrina's house. Sabrina unlocked her door while James stood shyly on the steps. She turned around and hugged James. "I had a really nice time," she said. James returned the hug. "Likewise," he said. He blushed, fumbling in his pocket for something. He found what he was looking for and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and quickly wrote something on the paper before handing it to Sabrina. "My number," he explained. "If you want to um, go out again sometime?" he explained. Sabrina smiled at him and handed him her business card, which had her number on it. "I would love to. Here's my number, as well," she said. James looked happy. "Great! I'll call you!" he said. "Not if I call you first!" Sabrina replied. They both laughed. Sabrina kissed James' forehead lightly. "I'll see you again, soon I hope," she said. "Good night!" James nodded. "Good night, Sabrina." She blew him a kiss and then stepped inside her house. James turned around and hopped down the stairs, full of happiness. He couldn't wait to go out with Sabrina again. 


	3. Make It Double

James entered his room at the Pokecenter, still jazzed from his time spent with Sabrina. He pulled out his cell phone to call Jessie and tell her about his night. Just then his phone rang, and James almost dropped it in surprise. "Hello?" he asked, recovering from his surprise. "James! I'm glad I caught you! You'll never guess what happened to me," Jessie said on the other end. James frowned, a little disappointed that it wasn't Sabrina. Then he smiled. Jessie was his best friend, after all. "No, you're right. I'll never guess. You'd better tell me," he teased. On the other end, Jessie rolled her eyes affectionately before launching into her narration. "You know how I'm working at the Pewter City Pokemart?" she asked. "Yeah," James said. "Well, today, I was at the register, bored out of my mind when, who should walk in but one of the twerps," she said. James looked interested. "Which one?" he asked. "The older one with the squinty eyes," Jessie answered. "I remember him," James said. "I don't think he recognized me at first, because he went all ga-ga and started flirting with me. I gave him a look and he stopped. 'Wait, aren't you Jessie?' he asked. I was like, 'Duh.' He looked at me and he was like, 'You know, I never realized how pretty you are!' I didn't know what to say to that so I just kind of stood there. Then he continued, and he was like, 'I'm glad to see you out of Team Rocket. I always knew there was a good person in you.' By this time I was just totally speechless. But my stomach growled, and he smiled. 'Why don't I take you to lunch?' he offered. I was torn, because...hello, twerp boy. But I did remember that he is a really good cook. So I was like 'Ok.' I clocked off for my lunch break and Brock took me to his apartment, where he cooked the most delicious lasagna I have ever had." She sighed happily, remembering it. "Anyway, so after we ate, he walked me back to the Pokemart. He started sweatdropping and blushing, and I was sure he was going to ask me out or something." There was a sound in the background and James heard a faint "Wobbuffet!" He smirked as Jessie held her hand over the phone and hissed at the psychic Pokemon. "Wobbuffet! Get back in your Pokeball!" she said. She returned to the phone after recalling Wobbuffet. "Sorry about that. Where was I?" she asked. "You thought Brock was going to ask you out," James reminded her. "Oh yes. Right. So yeah, we enter the Pokemart, and twerp boy is sweatdropping and blushing. Finally, he asks me if he can have my phone number, since he kind of wants to hang out with me again. I'm looking at him and thinking about it. He's cute and a good cook, and that's about all I know, so I'm not sure. But then I remember how good the lasagna was, and I'm like 'Ok. As long as you promise to bring the food next time too,' and I scribble my number on a piece of paper and hand it to him." She stopped and caught her breath. "So that's what happened today," she said. James smirked. "Jessie's dating a twerp!" he teased. "We're not dating yet!" she insisted. Then she changed the subject. "So, anything exciting going on in your life?" she asked. James smiled brightly. "Yes, actually. I met someone too!" he said. "Ooo! Go on," Jessie said. "You know how I saved the Saffron City Gym for last?" he asked. "Uh-huh. Because of Sabrina," Jessie replied. "Right. Well, I battled her today and won the Marsh Badge!" James said. "Good job!" Jessie said. "So anyway, after our match, Sabrina took me out to lunch," James continued. "And then we went to a park and hung out until it was dark. I walked her home and we exchanged numbers," James finished. "We should go on a double date," James said suddenly. Jessie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and then went back down. "Hm. That's not a bad idea," she said. "Tomorrow I'll talk to Brock about it, and you can call Sabrina. Then we can call each other to finalize the plans." James nodded, though Jessie couldn't see it. "Sounds good to me," he said. "Ok. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night James!" Jessie said. "Night Jessie," he replied. They both hung up.  
  
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The next day, James picked up his cell phone, this time to call Sabrina. Just like last night, it rang before he had a chance to make the call. "Hello?" he asked. "James? It's me, Sabrina," the voice on the other end said. James smiled. "Sabrina! I was just about to call you!" he said happily. "Oh? What about?" she asked. "Well, my best friend Jessie just started dating someone, so we were thinking about a double date," he explained. "Sounds like fun!" Sabrina replied. "How about tonight at Brock's place? Jessie says he's a great cook," James said. "Brock? Jessie and Brock?" Sabrina asked. She giggled. "What an interesting pairing!" James nodded. "I agree." Sabrina shook her head in amusement. "Well, anyway. Sure, that sounds great," she said. "Oh, what should I wear?" she asked. "Jeans, a shirt...casual attire, I guess," James said. "Ok," Sabrina said. "Ok. I'll pick you up. How does 6 sound?" he asked. "That's fine," Sabrina replied. "Ok, see you then," James said happily. "See you then James. Bye for now," Sabrina said. "Bye for now." James hit the end button on his cell phone and put it away.  
  
************  
  
James got to Sabrina's house at six o'clock on the dot. Stepping out of the car he had rented, he hopped up the stairs and knocked lightly on the door. Sabrina answered quickly, ready to go. "You like nice," James said. Sabrina blushed. "Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself," she replied. James smiled, blushing a little. Sabrina locked her door and turned around, linking her arm with James. He escorted her down the stairs to his car, opening the passenger side door for her. "There you go," he said, walking around to the driver's side, where he hopped behind the wheel and turned the car on. Sabrina fiddled with the radio for a few seconds before finding a station she liked. "Is that ok?" she asked. James nodded. "Whatever you like," he said with a smile. Sabrina looked at him. He looked so cute when he was driving. She sighed happily and James glanced over at her and smiled before returning his eyes to the road. They were on a freeway that went to Pewter City. "I turned Brock into a doll once," Sabrina said suddenly. "Do you think he'd still hold that against me?" she asked. James laughed. "You turned him into a doll?" he asked. Sabrina nodded. "Before Ash saved me from myself," she said. He glanced over at Sabrina. "I'm sure he doesn't. That was a long time ago. You were different then." Sabrina chewed her lip as she thought about it. Finally she nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right," she said. James chanced taking a hand off the steering wheel to squeeze Sabrina's supportively. "Don't worry about it. Everything will be cool," he said. Sabrina squeezed his hand back. "Thanks," she said. "I feel better now." James put his hand back on the steering wheel and smiled. "I'm glad to hear it."  
  
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They reached Pewter City pretty quickly, since traffic was sparse. Following the directions that Jessie had given him, it wasn't long before James and Sabrina pulled up in front of Brock's apartment. Jessie came out to greet them. "James, Sabrina," she said. She smiled at Sabrina. "It's nice to meet you," she added, offering her hand. "Likewise," Sabrina said, shaking it. Jessie turned around. "Brock is cooking," she explained. "I'll take you inside." James and Sabrina followed the redhead as she walked up a flight of stairs and entered the door numbered 42. The smell of something cooking - something delicious - wafted throughout the apartment. "Brock! James and Sabrina are here," Jessie said. A muffled reply came from the kitchen. "Be right with you," Brock said. James and Sabrina sat down on a comfy leather couch while Jessie took a seat in a plush velvet chair, propping her feet on a matching ottoman. In front of them against a wall stood a large entertainment center that included a big screen tv set on the Pokemon Planet channel. "This is really nice furniture," James remarked, somewhat shocked. Sabrina didn't look surprised. "Gym leaders get paid a lot," she said. "I have stuff like this in my house, too." Brock, who had just joined them, nodded. "Plus, I'm a professional Pokemon breeder. People pay me when I give them advise." James glanced at Brock curiously. "You didn't seem all that rich when you were traveling with Ash and Misty," he said. Brock nodded. "That was because I had to give all my money to my father to take care of my siblings. But now they are older, and some of them have jobs, so I keep my share to myself." He grinned at Sabrina. "Long time, no see," he said, changing the subject. "How have you been? I trust you haven't turned anyone into dolls?" he asked, winking to let her know he was just teasing. Sabrina blushed and smiled. "No, no dolls. Not since...well, you know," she said. Brock nodded and smiled. "You look great," he complimented. He glanced slyly at James. "You're a lucky man," he teased. James and Sabrina both blushed. James glanced at Jessie. "I think we're both lucky," he said. Brock nodded. "Right you are." A beep was heard from the direction of the kitchen. "Oh, that's the fried rice," he said. "It's the appetizer. The main meal is orange chicken and chow mein." Everyone's mouths watered. "Yummy," Jessie said. Brock smiled. "Let me get you guys your rice," he said, heading back to the kitchen. Sabrina, Jessie, and James got up from where they were sitting and sat down at the table. Brock emerged from the kitchen carefully carrying a tray holding four bowls of fried rice. He set the tray down and then handed everyone a bowl. Before taking a seat himself, he asked if they wanted anything to drink. James looked up from his bowl. "Water's fine," he mumbled through a mouthful of rice. Sabrina, who was politely waiting for Brock to sit down with them before she took a bite, smiled. "I'll have a Dr. Chili if you have one," she said. Brock nodded and looked at Jessie. "I'll have Mountain Fog," she said. Brock went back to the kitchen and grabbed two waters, a Dr. Chili, and a Mountain Fog. Returning to the table, he passed out the beverages accordingly and then sat down. He started eating his rice and Sabrina followed suit. "Wow, Brock, this is really good!" she said. "Thanks," Brock answered. "It's my own secret recipe." Jessie swallowed her mouthful and glanced teasingly at Brock. "That's one secret I'd like to know," she said. Brock blushed. "Heh." A ding sounded and Brock got up. "I have to check on the chicken," he said. "Sure, sure, you just wanted to change the subject," Jessie teased. Brock stuck his tongue out before disappearing into the kitchen. "You were right Jessie, he's a good cook," James said, finishing off his bowl of rice. "I can't wait to taste the orange chicken," Sabrina said in agreement. Just then Brock returned, carrying a tray with a large, steaming bowl of orange chicken, and four small bowls filled with chow mein. "Did I hear something about orange chicken?" he asked, setting the tray down. A pair of tongs was on the tray. "Oooh, looks good," Sabrina said. Jessie snatched the tongs before anyone else could and grabbed a few pieces of the orange chicken. James gave her a mock glare and she handed the tongs to him when she was done. He was about to hand them to Sabrina when he noticed a few pieces of chicken floating in the air towards Sabrina's plate. He glanced at Sabrina. "What?" she asked as she finished levitating the chicken onto her plate. "Jessie had the tongs," she added. James laughed. "You're cute," he said. Sabrina blushed. "Thanks, I guess." James grabbed some chicken for himself and then gave Brock the tongs. Then each of them grabbed their bowls of chow mein and started chowing down.  
  
**********  
  
Jessie leaned back in the plush velvet chair, eyes closed. "Man, that was delicious. I'm stuffed," she said, content. James and Sabrina nodded in agreement. "Thanks," Brock said, blushing a little. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." Another round of nods. Brock sighed. *Too bad I'll have to clean the kitchen,* he thought. Sabrina opened an eye and glanced at Brock. "I can do it," she said. At Brock's startled look she grinned. "You were thinking loudly and it projected to me." Her expression went blank as she psychically cleaned up Brock's kitchen. "There you go. It's the least I can do, since you went to all of the trouble of making a good dinner." Brock didn't know what to say. "Uh, thanks," he finally managed. "No problem," Sabrina said. "Who's up for watching a movie?" Brock, changing the subject. "Oh, what have you got?" Jessie asked. Instead of replying, Brock opened a cabinet of the entertainment center to reveal two shelves full of DVDs. "Wow!" Jessie said, taking a look at the collection. "'Saving Private Brian,' 'Queen of the Forsaken,' 'Lord of the Bracelets,' 'The Last Rapidash,' 'Larry Dotter and the Sorceror's Fire Stone,' Bunny the Vampire Slayer Seasons 1 & 2,' " Jessie read some off. "Hey, do you have 'The Short Kiss Goodnight'?" Sabrina asked. Brock nodded. "Oh, that's a good movie!" James said. Jessie looked for it on the shelf. "Here it is," she said. "Let's watch that," Sabrina said. "Is that ok with everyone?" Brock asked. They all nodded. Brock set it up, dimming the lights and turning the surround sound speakers on. It wasn't long before they were engrossed in the movie and each couple had snuggled up.  
  
********** It was pretty late by the time the movie ended. Sabrina reluctantly detached herself from James and stood up to stretch. "That was fun," she said. "Yeah, we should double date again sometime," Brock said. James nodded and glanced at Sabrina. "Ready to go?" he asked. Sabrina nodded and linked her arm with his. "Let's hit the road," she said. Brock and Jessie walked them to the door. "I'm going to take Jessie home, too," Brock said. "We'll walk you to your car." James nodded, and they exited. Brock locked the door and followed them down. James opened the passenger side door for Sabrina. Before she got in, they all hugged each other. "See you guys again sometime," Sabrina said. Jessie and Brock nodded and headed for Brock's car as Sabrina hopped into the passenger seat. James shut her door for her and then walked around the car to his own side. He smiled at Sabrina before starting up the car. "See? That wasn't so bad was it?" he asked. Sabrina smiled. "I had fun," she said. James nodded. "Yes, so did I." The tired pair went silent as the sound of the car on the freeway and the light music on the radio lulled them into a state of relaxation.  
  
**********  
  
James pulled up to Sabrina's house and looked at her. "Here we are," he said, opening his door and getting out. He hurried to the passenger side and offered Sabrina a hand. "I'll walk you to your door," he said. Sabrina smiled and took his hand. "Such a gentleman," she said. James blushed. "I try." Sabrina giggled. "You do a good job," she said, as they walked up the steps to the front door. She stopped short of the door and turned around. "Thanks for a nice time," she said. James grinned. "No problem," he said. "See you again soon?" he asked. Sabrina nodded. "I'll call you," she said. She gave him a light kiss on the lips before pulling away and smiling mischeviously. "Good night James," she said, walking backwards into her door. James just blushed, his hands on his lips. "Night Sabrina!" he managed to get out before she shut the door. "Sweet dreams," he added in a whisper, sure she could still hear him. He turned around and headed to the car, turning it on and driving off to the Pokecenter for a night's rest. 


	4. Attention Shoppers!

The next morning, James packed his clothes back into his pack, ready to leave the Pokecenter and look for another place to stay. He was enjoying his time in Saffron City and wanted to stay longer, since the Indigo Plateau Finals wouldn't be starting for another month. Besides, he wanted to see Sabrina again, he thought to himself with a smile.  
  
**  
  
Walking down a busy Saffron City street, James spotted a large motel about 50 feet away. That looks decent, he thought. Humming a jaunty tune, James ambled his way to the hotel, now and then checking out the shops that lined the street. While he was in the comic book shop checking out the latest issue of Spinarak Man, the sound of a familiar laugh caught his attention. Looking around, he was surprised to see Sabrina reading the latest issue of Zubatgirl. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, I didn't take you for a comic book fan," he said to Sabrina. Sabrina looked up, surprised as well. "James!" she said. Her face melted into a smile. "What a coincidence to see you here," she said. Then she addressed his comment. "Oh, yeah, I love comics!" she said. "I really got into them a few years ago," she said. "It was sort of to make up for the childhood I missed as a gym leader," she explained. James nodded. He glanced at the Zubatgirl in her hand. "So is that one your favorite?" he asked. Sabrina shook her head. "No, my favorite is Elf Journey, " she said. "Oh, I've read that one," James said. "It's pretty good." Sabrina nodded. A dreamy look appeared in her eyes. "I think it's so romantic how they have soul names," she said. James grinned. "I don't know. I mean Recognition is so random. I think I'd rather fall in love the old fashioned way." Sabrina gazed at him. "True." She cocked her head and smiled. "So, what is your favorite comic book?" she asked him. James shrugged. "I like all of them." He thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I really like the Bunny the Vampire Slayer comics," he said. "That's cool," Sabrina said. "So, what brings you here?" she asked. James put down Spinarak Man and walked over to Sabrina. "I was on my way to the hotel," he said. "My stay at the Pokecenter was over." Sabrina put down Zubatgirl. "Oh, that's right. You have all eight badges now, so you can compete in the Indigo Plateau League Finals." She glanced at James. "They don't start for another month though. What are you going to do until then?" she asked. James shrugged. "I kind of like it here. I was thinking of finding a place. I'm going to stay at the hotel until I do," he said.  
  
By now they had started walking side by side out of the comic book shop. Sabrina looked thoughtful. "I have a guest house you could stay at," she finally said mischievously, glancing at James to see his reaction. She wasn't disappointed. James sweatdropped and blushed. "I don't know. Wouldn't that be weird?" he asked. Sabrina giggled and shook her head. "Why would it be? The guesthouse is totally separate. You wouldn't even see me unless you wanted to," she said. James looked interested, so Sabrina went on. "The guest house is about 50 feet from my own house. It has a single bedroom, a kitchen, a full bathroom, a living room, and a dining room." She turned around and walked backwards, facing James and holding his hands lightly. "You would have your own address and phone number, too," she said. "Plus, I'll only charge you half the rent," she added. James looked even more interested. "Only half?" he asked. Sabrina nodded. "That is, if you promise not to be a stranger," she teased. James looked thoughtful. It would sure be better than staying at a hotel and looking for a place he could afford. Plus, there was the bonus of being close to Sabrina. He decided to at least look at it. "Can I see it first?" he asked. "Of course," Sabrina said.  
  
**  
  
They stepped through the door into Sabrina's guesthouse. "And here I thought Brock had awesome furniture," James said, looking around at the fully furnished living room. "Oh, I forgot to mention, it's already furnished," Sabrina said with a smile. "Yeah, I noticed," James teased. He walked further into the place. "How about a tour?" he asked. Sabrina nodded. "Sure," she said. She led him around the small guesthouse, showing him the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining area, and finally the bedroom. James plopped down on the king-size bed and tested it out. "Not bad," he said, finally. He sat up. "I think I'll take you up on your offer," he said. Sabrina smiled. "Great! You can move in right away, if you want," she said. James nodded. "Yeah, I plan on it. How much is half the rent anyway?" he asked. Sabrina told him and he nodded. "Sounds good to me," he said, handing over the said amount of money to pay for his first month. Sabrina pocketed it and grinned. "So, do you need help unpacking?" she asked. "Nope, all I have with me is this backpack of clothes," he said, pointing to the backpack still strapped over his shoulder. Sabrina's brow furrowed. "Really? That's all?" she asked. James nodded. "Yeah, I never actually stayed in one place long enough to acquire much more than clothes," he explained. "I did a lot of traveling as a Team Rocket member and as a trainer." Sabrina nodded. "Makes sense," she said. She gently poked at the clothes he was wearing. "You could use some new threads," she decided. "Come on, it's time for a shopping spree!" she said gleefully. James sweatdropped. "Do we have to?" he asked. Sabrina raised an eyebrow. "If you're worried about paying, don't worry about it. I've got it covered," she said with a smile, tugging him toward the door. "But-but you really don't have to!" he protested. Sabrina grinned. "But I want to! Besides, it's for my benefit too. Nice clothes make you look cuter," she said, giving him a sly wink. "Now come on, let's go!" she said. James gave up. "Ok. You're as bad as Jessie, you know that?" he said, shaking his head. Sabrina grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment," she replied.  
  
****  
  
Sabrina let James shop for his own clothes in the clothes section while she looked at CDs in the music section. The Celadon City Department Store certainly had everything, she thought. She reached for the latest CD by Magenta, "Miss Understood," and grabbed it as the same time as someone else. "Oh, I'm sorry," Sabrina said, looking up to the person who'd also grabbed it. To her surprise, it was Misty. "Misty! What brings you here?" she asked. Misty looked just as surprised to see Sabrina. "Shopping. You?" she asked. Then she blushed. "I guess that's a dumb question, you're obviously shopping too," she said. Sabrina smiled at the younger girl. "Don't worry about it, Misty," she said. She changed the subject. "I hear you're dating Ash now," she said. "It must be exciting to be the girlfriend of the youngest Pokemon Champion," she said. Misty blushed and nodded. "Yeah. He's really busy right now training, what with the Indigo Plateau League finals coming up. He has to defend his position," Misty said, somewhat proudly. Sabrina nodded. "He'll need it. The buzz in the gym leader circle is that Lance is going to try to get his title back," Sabrina said. Misty's eyes widened into Os. "Really? I should pass that along to Ash," she said. Sabrina cocked her head at Misty. "Have you thought about taking over Cerulean City Gym?" she asked. "Your sisters are making us look bad," she admitted. "We could use someone like you as a gym leader," she said. Misty looked a little startled. "No, I hadn't thought about it, actually." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "It's not a bad idea. I get kind of bored just doing nothing since Ash is usually busy." Sabrina grinned at Misty. "Well there you go, something to do with your time," she said. Just then James walked up with a bag full of clothes and tapped Sabrina on the shoulder. "I have a bagful of clothes. Are you satisfied?" he teased. Then he spotted Misty. "Ah! A twerp!" he said, startled. Misty noticed him and had a similar reaction. "Ah! Team Rocket!" she said. Sabrina laughed. "James isn't in Team Rocket anymore," she reminded Misty. "Oh. Right," Misty said. She blushed. "Sorry about that," she apologized to James. James blushed and nodded. "Sorry about calling you a twerp," he replied. Misty was about to answer when a curious look crossed her face. She looked back and forth between James and Sabrina. "Are you two dating or something?" she asked. Sabrina and James looked at each other. "Not officially. Yet." Sabrina answered. She smiled at James. "You wanna go steady with me?" she asked. James laughed. "Sure, why not?" he replied Sabrina turned back to Misty. "Yes, we're dating now," she said. Misty laughed and shook her head. "I never thought.I mean.I thought James would end up with Jessie," she said, glancing apologetically at Sabrina. James grinned and shook his head. "No. Jessie is just my best friend. Besides, she is dating Brock," he said, waiting for Misty's reaction. "Oh," she said. Then what he had said sunk in. "Jessie and Brock?!? When did this happen?" she said, looking slightly alarmed. "I'm so out of the loop," she moaned. James grinned. "Don't worry, it's a pretty new development," he said. Misty sighed. "So I guess we're all paired up now," she said. Sabrina nodded. "If Ash can get a free moment, why don't we all go out on a triple date?" Sabrina suggested. Misty made a face. "Ash, have a free moment?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "I'll see what I can do," she said. Then she snickered. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out Brock is dating Jessie," she said. "You're an evil woman Misty," Sabrina teased. Misty grinned. "It's payback for my bike," she explained. "Ah. Right. So call me when you find out when Ash is free," Sabrina said, handing her card to Misty. Misty pocketed it and nodded. "I will. It was good to see you, Sabrina. And James," she added. "It was nice to see you too Misty," Sabrina said. They hugged and parted ways. James and Sabrina watched the redhead leave the store. "She looked really happy," Sabrina remarked, taking James's hand. James nodded. "I think it's because she finally admitted her feelings to Ash, if their dating is any indication," James said. Sabrina glanced sideways at him. "So you noticed it too? That they are totally meant for each other, I mean," she said. James almost snorted. "Of course I noticed. A blind person could have seen that," he said, not unkindly. Sabrina smiled. "I think it's sweet." James squeezed Sabrina's hand and smiled at her. "I think we're sweet," he said. Sabrina nodded and kissed him. "Me too," she said. She smiled happily at him before returning to business. "Ok, we've got you some clothes. Now, we should go to the grocery store and stock up on food for the guesthouse, since the kitchen is empty," Sabrina said. James's eyes lit up. "Oh, food!" he said. He glanced at Sabrina. "Do I get to pick out my own food, too?" he teased. Sabrina gave him a look. "Of course. I let you pick out your own clothes didn't I?" she teased right back. James grinned. "You did," he said. "Well then, there's your answer," Sabrina said with a wink. "So, shall we go?" James said. Sabrina nodded, and soon they exited the store.  
  
***  
  
A few hours and several hundred dollars later, James plopped down on a plush reclining chair in the living room of the guesthouse while Sabrina teleported the groceries from her car to his kitchen. When she was done she teleported herself into the living room. James jumped. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you," Sabrina said, giggling. She sat down on the sofa and glanced at James. His eyes were closed. "Tired out?" she asked. James opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, shopping can wear you out," Sabrina admitted. She smiled at her boyfriend. "So, I'll let you go so you can sleep or shower or whatever," she said, giving James a brief kiss. "Ok. See you tomorrow?" he asked. Sabrina grinned. "Of course. We'll go to the gym so I can see what kind of shape you're in for the league finals," she said. "I can help you train for it," she explained. "Really? That would be great," James said. Sabrina nodded. "So we have a deal?" she asked. James nodded and stood up from the reclining chair. "Do you want me to walk you to your door?" he asked. Sabrina smiled at him but shook her head. "No, I'll just teleport. But thank you for asking," she said. She gave him another kiss. "Night James. See you tomorrow," she said. "Night Sabrina! See you tomorrow." 


End file.
